Amid increasing demand for continuing education, more business schools are launching an expanded set of executive education courses for current and aspiring leaders. During the next decade, executive education is expected to become a nearly $40 billion industry, with a compound annual growth rate of 11.2%, according to Future Market Insights.
Throwing their hats into the ring are top business schools MIT Sloan School of Management and IESE Business School at the University of Navarra, which jointly announced in mid-February the launch of a Global CEO Program, a seven-month leadership program for senior executives. The schools are collaborating on this offering using MIT Sloan’s expertise in the intersection of technology and management, along with IESE’s focus on global business, according to an announcement about the partnership.
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“In a global business environment that’s increasingly complex and uncertain, the job of a CEO has become more difficult than ever,” Franz Heukamp, dean of IESE Business School, said in a statement. “With a teaching approach that combines cutting-edge thinking with practical application to solve real-world problems, this program equips CEOs with the tools, knowledge, and networks needed to gain a sustained competitive advantage.”
While the program is ideal for CEOs, other C-suite executives and senior managers with an average of 20 years of experience can also be successful in the program, officials say. This includes board members, chief financial officers, chief marketing officers, chief operating officers, chief technology officers, managing directors, managing partners, owners, and regional presidents, notes Peter Hirst, senior associate dean at MIT Sloan.
About the global CEO program
The Global CEO Program is a nondegree offering designed for senior and executive leaders. It’s different from an executive MBA program in that it’s shorter and geared toward leaders with more years of experience.
“Our executive MBA programs provide a prolonged—one- to two-year—comprehensive, broad, and deep study of an entire business curriculum. The primary audience for that is more mid-career than very senior executives, although there is some overlap in these populations,” Hirst tells Fortune. “Most of our executive education programs are shorter, providing focused, topic-specific training.”
In this case, the new program is focused on leadership from a global perspective.
Students, through the seven-month program, will focus on topics including systems thinking, innovation mindset, communication, change management, emerging technologies, negotiation and influence, self-leadership, and building a legacy.
“The business landscape, geopolitics, and global economy continues to be interconnected but is changing so rapidly that business leaders have to continuously reexamine what implications those shifts have on their organizations and businesses,” Hirst says. “CEOs appreciate the opportunity to step back and reflect with faculty and peers on issues and trends that are affecting their companies now and going forward.”
The global program includes three weeklong modules beginning with a week at MIT Sloan in Cambridge, Mass., in October 2023 where students will cover topics like global footprint, building cross-cultural organizations, and structuring corporate governance. Students will then visit Singapore for the second module in January 2024 to study the “complexities and opportunities” of doing business in Asia. The final module takes place at IESE’s campus in Barcelona in May 2024, which will focus on achieving profitable growth and rethinking innovation processes.
Applying to the global CEO program and how much it costs
To be considered for admission to the program, prospective students must complete an interview to make sure the program is the right fit for the candidate, and vice versa. After the interview, prospective students fill out an application, which is reviewed by the admissions committee.
“We are looking for senior candidates who can add diversity to the class: industry, geography, functional background, gender, generational, et cetera,” Hirst says.
The program costs $52,000 to attend, which includes tuition, reading and classroom materials, social activities, events, most meals, and hotel accommodations. It doesn’t include travel expenses to get to Cambridge, Singapore, or Barcelona. Students must pay a $10,000 deposit when they’re admitted to the program to reserve their spot.
Check out all of Fortune’s rankings of degree programs, and learn more about specific career paths.
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